India's pragmatic stance on the Ukraine war
India has taken a pragmatic stance on the Ukraine war. With Russian oil prices cheap due to Western sanctions, India has become one of the biggest buyers. At the same time, leaders in New Delhi have repeatedly called for all parties to engage in dialogue. Putin thanked Modi for devoting his attention to resolving the Ukraine conflict.
The Kremlin leader’s international contacts are limited because of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. Modi’s program has been more elaborate since Monday. Putin hosted his guest at his suburban Moscow residence. The two not only talked for three hours, but they also rode an electric train together and watched a horse show, according to the Kremlin.
Criticism from Ukraine
But Modi’s warm embrace of Putin coincided with images of a children’s hospital in Kiev being destroyed by Russia and earned him criticism. “It is a great disappointment and a blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hugging the world’s bloodiest criminal in Moscow on such a day,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X. On social media, Modi is more likely to be doing so to protect India: like Western politicians, he primarily represents his country’s interests.
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